LATEST STORIES
Celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori
To celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori from the 13th -17th September, our pēpi at BestStart Marne Street had the opportunity to make their own rakau sticks with the help of kaiako in the Explorers Room. We sawed the sticks to the right length, sanded them and then used them during group music time. It was great to see that tamariki enjoyed playing their rakau sticks while listening to a variety of waiata. This helped us improve our hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and cognitive skills.
Poi is available on the shelf for children to explore during the day. Kaiako modelled tamariki different poi movement with some of our familiar nursery rhythms, such as Iti witi Katipo (Incy wincy Spider) and Tirama Tirama nga whetu (Twinkle Twinkle Little star). We also practiced our poi skills by spinning and twiring the poi in small groups, showing respect to the space and position of others around us.
Painting koru shapes is another good way that allows tamariki, especially our younger ones to know more about Māori culture. By creating their own koru shape, they knew the meaning behind the artwork, which is representing new beginnings, life and hope. It was lovely to see that the children got involved in a range of activities that help them understand te reo Māori, tikanga and the Māori culture.